Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has left the country  amid the worst unrest there in decades, according to reports.

Ben Ali flew to France, but was refused asylum by the French government, according to GlobalPost correspondent Ben Barnier in Paris. French authorities refused to let Ben Ali land on their soil, according to the French daily Le Monde. French president Nicolas Sarkozy himself refused to host Ben Ali, according to reports on the French television station I-tele.  There is speculation that Sarkozy's decision was motivated by a fear to upset France's large Tunisian community… Instability in the North African country is being viewed as a red flag for governments across the region that rely on suppression to maintain order.   Read more…